Explaining why US submarines challenge North Korea

The US nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan has arrived in the port of Busan, South Korea, amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. According to military expert Dmitry Litovkin, the purpose of deploying the submarine is to put maximum pressure on North Korea.

The world's largest nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the USS Michigan, weighs 18,000 tons and is equipped with 154 Tomahawk missiles that can hit targets up to 2,300km away.

Information about this ship arriving at Busan port, South Korea on October 13 was reported by the US Navy stationed in South Korea on the force's official Facebook account.

Although the US Navy said the submarine's visit to South Korea was routine, it came amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The presence of a massive warship with Tomahawk missiles near North Korea is a huge challenge for Pyongyang, Russian military expert and ship captain Dmitry Litovkin said in an interview with Sputnik.

"In my opinion, the goal of the USS Michigan is quite clear: to put great pressure on North Korea. The cruise missiles it carries can be equipped with nuclear warheads and hit targets very far away. Such weapons placed close to North Korea are quite a challenge for the North Korean government," said Mr. Litovkin.

The USS Michigan, an Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine, is one of 18 submarines in service with the US Navy. It can be equipped with 24 Trident 1 and Trident II ballistic missiles, each Trident I can carry eight 100-kiloton warheads, while the Trident II can carry 14 warheads or eight 475-kiloton warheads. The warheads these missiles carry are more powerful than the bomb that exploded over Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, which only produced an explosion of 12-18 kilotons.

Following the submarine, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan will also be dispatched to South Korea next week, Chosun Ilbo reported.

The US is increasing its military presence in South Korea amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula over Pyongyang's continued nuclear and missile tests.

According to Vietnamnet.vn